At least 40 former Boko Haram insurgents sponsored by the Borno State government have been shortlisted for the Nigerian Army’s 91st Regular Recruits Intake, undergoing medical screening at a Maiduguri military hospital — triggering alarm among serving officers over falsified documents and compromised recruitment standards.
The men the Nigerian Army once hunted may soon wear its uniform.
According to SaharaReporters, at least 40 “repentant” Boko Haram fighters — drawn from the 3,740 ex-insurgents reintegrated by the Borno State government — have been shortlisted for the Nigerian Army’s 91st Regular Recruits Intake (RRI 91), with medical screenings conducted Wednesday at the 7 Division Military Hospital, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.
A serving Army Major confirmed the development bluntly.
“I can categorically confirm to you that the Borno State government brought forty repentant Boko Haram fighters who were shortlisted by the Army for their medical examinations during the week. Though some of them were rejected as not medically fit, most of them were screened to the next stage,” he told SaharaReporters.
But it’s what came next that rattled officers most — questions about how men without birth certificates, educational qualifications or state of origin documents sailed through Army shortlisting requirements.
“You can’t recruit people who haven’t finished secondary school simply because you want to compensate them. We hope the Borno State government hasn’t provided them with fake certificates to force them in as soldiers,” the Major warned.
A Lieutenant echoed the alarm: “It simply means convicted criminals can join the Army easily. They were all brought in by a bus provided by the Borno Government.”
Boko Haram has killed thousands and displaced millions. Over 1,000 soldiers have reportedly died since January 2021 alone.
Now some of those fighters may be handed rifles — and a salary — by the same institution.
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